22 October 2024
Architecture Night celebrated all 11 entrants to this year’s Design Competition for Designers and Makers, in partnership with 9ft in Common, Belfast 2024 and JP Corry.
The competition challenged designers, makers and anyone with a good idea, to propose creative ideas for a wall-mounted collapsible shelter in a residential alleyway in Belfast. The proposals were to be site-specific, but the concepts submitted to be transferrable to other alleys and walls across the city and beyond.
For more details of the competition including the full brief click here.
We were pleased to announce The Shed: Gather and Grow by Jennifer Speirs, Adrienne Campbell and William Brady as the winner of this year’s competition.
The winning entry proposed a multi-use shelter that would act as a catalyst for the transformation of Belfast’s disused alleyways into green and vibrant communal spaces where community can flourish.
By day, The Shed will act as a hub for gardening enthusiasts, stocked with compost, seeds, and pots, while a sturdy workbench will invite residents to get their hands dirty and nurture their green thumbs. Knowledge will be passed across generations and local artists will share their skills and display their work. Residents will gather at the community noticeboard, a modern-day town crier, posting announcements about upcoming events and news; a living testament to the alleyway’s role as a focal point for local engagement, reminiscent of the village greens and public squares of days gone by. As the sun sets, the shelter will morph into a cozy gathering spot. Neighbours will come together for evening chats, sharing stories and laughter under the soft glow of string lights.
Click here for all the supporting text for The Shed.
Stick around and laugh a while by Ian Pitt
This proposal was a simple sheltered space, flooded with light and colour whatever the weather. Taking inspiration from modern light pavilions and the humble potting shed, it’s a space where conversations can begin, understanding grown and friendships nurtured.
The Ciliary Device by Joel Jamieson and Scott Kennedy
This device’s panels contract to form a seat and canopy, offering the user with a pause, relief, and escape from the alley environment, promoting a place for inward focus and contemplation.
Lunar Phase by Ben Weir
Lunar Phase opens and closes with a simple pulley mechanism. When closed, it appears as a large silver circle adorning the wall, its upper-half in paint and lower-half in galvanised sheeting. Seen obliquely this reflective surface stands pronounced on the alley wall. The adjacent pulley weight is formed by a broken kerb stone. Pulling it down unfurls a nighttime scene, a roofed enclosure painted ultramarine. Placed relatively low and sheltering only two people, it requests intimacy.
Under the Shelter by Jordan Beattie
The proposed design aims to remedy the lack of private and public greenscape in conjunction with community engagement. This shelter, when deployed, offers a sheltered space ideal for a catchup between neighbours, a solitary break from gardening or shade for reading. Illustrated is the potential for the installation as a miniature shed.
A-Lign by Olivia Begley, Shannon Murphy, and Mane Grigoryan
This design proposal aims to enhance Belfast’s alleyways by creating multi-functional shelters inspired by traditional Belfast washing lines. Our vision is to transform these underused spaces into vibrant community spaces that promote interaction and connection among neighbours.
Urban Lounge by Rachel Murphy
Urban Lounge proposes a communal living room – a place for residents to sit, chat, stay dry and have a cup of tea. The three elements to this design are an expandable seat with built in storage, a planter and a lightweight, collapsible customisable canopy.
Iris Alley Shelter by Emmett Heron
This project creates a simple shelter for two people that can be easily folded away & placed in the upright position by one person. It’s lightweight to accommodate the residents. This design proposes an easy to use shelter that will encourage residents to get together ‘under the shelter’.
The Accordion Shelter by Jake Lebel
The vision for this proposal was to transform a generally unused space into a climate of calm and relaxation. To do so, the plan is to use plastified sheeting for the roof of the shelter to create noises of rain trickling onto and down the fabric.
The Hinges by Annie Haughey and Ben Murray
The Hinges relies upon the simple premise of a neighbourly chat, and
through three inclusive forms (door, frame and seat) while reframing the ritual (sitting up), local neighbourhoods are provided with wholly unique spaces.
Echoing Mementos by Micheal Murphy and Adela Vagova
The proposed canopies aim to regenerate our alleyways by creating small instances of shelter that protect wanderers from the elements.
Hanging rope structures with washers and assorted metal elements attached will create a soothing symphony composed by the wind, a melody to be remembered. Every time they walk past the alley and hear the sounds, they’ll remember the sweet memory associated with it.
